Antibandit electric time lock



Jan. 2, 1934.

w. T. BENHAM ANTIBANDIT ELECTRIC TIME LOCK Filed May 5, 1953 flaw-M3Patented Jan. 2, 1934 nm'rsn STATES rarest series ANTIBANDIT ELECTRICTIME LOCK William T. Benham, Norwood, (Ohio, assignor to The Mosler LockCompany, Inc., Covington, Ky., a corporation of Ohio Application May 3,1933. Serial No. 669,220

10 Claims. (Cl. 70-432) The present invention relates to improvements tothe relatively elaborate types of lock control in a time lock mechanismand has for an object as well as to the simpler form herein describedthe provision of a simple, inexpensive, but ex and illustrated. Thedevice is small and comceptionally effective automatic controlmechapact, adapting it to use upon a door for closing nism which ispreferably, but not necessarily, eleca circular aperture as small as sixinches in diso tric motor driven, and which is adapted for use ameter inwhich typ of embodiment the alltO- eith directly ith a j ki bglt ith orithmatic check disc assembly of the invention would out auxiliary keylock or looks, or has a further directly Operate 150 deg 311 extensionthe 100kcontrol in connection with a combination lock of 1 bolt leekedposition- The device is never- 0 any approved design. theless effectiveas a means to dog intermediate 6 Another object is to provide a. simplearrangemechanism that may control the more compliment of control partsthat is ideal for use as an sated typ of belt W011i on e (1001 Of y Sizeanti-bandit lock for a money chest or the like, 0 W t might bedesiredproviding a necessary time delay, after being prop- In theembodiment illustrated, the device conerly set into operation, before alocking bolt can S Of 3 11101111111118 Plate 10 adapted to be Secured tobe moved to open position. upon an imperforate inner face of a safe orAnother object is to provide the device of the strong-box door such as11 and has a shelf-like character described which is adapted forautobase 12 projecting therefrom to complete the matic locking uponmoving of the lock bolt to a supp rt means for the device A da so closedor locked position. upright 13 on the shelf 12 serves to journal one Afurther object is to provide a simple arrangeend 14 of an arbor member15 which has its opment of parts in a device operable by a self-start- 1end 15 JOE-mailed in the plate FiXed ing synchronous motor which isadapted to be enon the arbor adjacent plate 10 is a gear 17 ergized fromthe exterior of a money chest, safe, and immediately adjacent thereto isa check disc 5;: strong-box. or the like, whereby the motor is re- 18fixed for rotation with the arbor 15 and gear 35, quired to operateiorapredetermined delay period 17. The check disc 18 has a radiallydisposed and to automatically condition the device at the slot 19 Wideenough to receive a slide member end of such delay period to permitopening of the 20 which in this simple embodiment constitutes lock boltand to, at the same time, de-energize an extension of a locking bolt 21.A check disc go the motor. 22 is mounted for limited free rotationrelative g5 These and other objects are attained by the to check disc 13and has a radially disposed remeans herein described and disclosed inthe access 23 therein which, when brought into registry companyingdrawing, in which: with slot 19 permits slide 20 to be moved there- Fig.1 is a perspective view of a device of the ininto for retracting alocking bolt. An arcuate vention, part being broken away. notch 24 inthe face of disc 22 and a stud 25 in Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewthrough the the adjacent face of disc 18 limit the relative center ofthe device of Fig. l. rotation of said check disc members while a Fig. 3is a view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. spring 26 a groove 27 on anenlarged portion Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic check ofthe arbor 16 serves to normally urge the check disc forming a detail ofthe invention. discs to a position wherein the radial slots are 5 Fig. 5is a fragmental edge view of a door showin a condition of non-registry.The spring 26 ing the simple lock bolt of Fig. 3 in conjunction isfastened at its one end by a pin 28 to the shaft with a key lockedoperating knob or handle. and has a hook portion 29 engageable in a seatig. 6 is a diagrammatic View of an exterior en- 30 in the disc 22. Disc22 has an elongated aperergizing and signal fixture adapted to becarried ture 31 extending transversely of and communiby the door of asafe or the like in conjunction eating with the radial slot 23 and inthis aperture with a wiring diagram of the electrical control of isreciprocably mounted a release block 33 urged a device of the invention.by springs 34 toward the periphery of disc 22.

While the device of the present invention is The release block 33 isdisposed entirely within- 5-3 herein illustrative of an adaptationthereof to the body lines of disc 22 and carries a protrudinganti-bandit protection, it is to be understood that pin 35 which isadapted to engage upon a pin 36 the device is also adaptable to numerousforms which is fixed to the upright 13. Pin 36 is in the for use as atime lock. path of pin 35 when the release block is in its The simpleautomatic check disc structure formprojected position.

ts ing a feature of the invention is readily adaptable A holding cap 37is secured to the arbor 15 by any suitable means such as a set screw andserves to retain the discs 18 and 22 in proper side by side relationadjacent gear 17. The cap 3? is of smaller diazneter than disc 22 and iscut away similarly to disc 18 so that pin 35 may be engaged with anddisengaged from pin 36 in the normal operation of the device.

rom the foregoing it will be a, parent that when gear 17 is turned in acounter clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3, discs 18 and 22will be rotated therewith, the slots 19 and 23 in the respective discsbei g norm-ally out of registry by reason of the yielding springconnection 25. As the di cs approach the completion of a singlerevolution under the influence oi 17, pin 35 on the release block 33will abut pin 36, thus holding back the disc 22 while check disc 18continues to rotate, placing spring 26 under tension. This furthermovement brings into registry the slots 19 and 23 at a position whereinthe slide 26 may be moved into the notches. The rotation of the gear isarrested at this point by shutting off the actuating force as will herinafter be explained.

The slide then be retracted so that the bolt 21 or any other lockingmember or associated part may be rendered inoperative. The movement ofthe slide as into the notches d presses the release block 33 whichcarries the pin out of engagement with pin 36 so that spring 26immediately tends to effect a relaive rotation of the check discs, thusconditioning the device as shown in Fig. 3, from which position thediscs will forthwith automatically move to a position of non-registry ofthe slots as soon as the slide 20 is withdrawn therefrom. It will benoted that the slide will thus be automatically dogged to lockingposition as soon as it is withdrawn from the slots.

The means for rotating the gear 17 may be any substantially constantspeed mechanism that is subject to starting and stopping under thecontrol of the check discs or means actuated therefrom.

In the embodiment illustrated herein a selfstarting synchronous motorindicated generally as 38 is employed, the roto' shaft 39 beingjournaled in the plate 10 and carrying a pinion 4-1 meshing with gear17. The motor 38 is supported on plate 10 by studs 42, l3, and i l,providing a compact, simple and inexpensive actuating means for thedevice. The winding :5 of the motor 38 has one lead as connected to abinding post 47 carried by a suitable insulating member 48 on theshelf-lik member 12, said binding post having a lead 49 connectedthereto and terminating exteriorly of the safe, strong box, chest, orthe like within which the mechanism of the invention is disposed. Theother lead 59 of the motor winding 45 is connected to a binding post 51which is electrically connected with a condu or plate 52 having acontact 53 thereon from wl a circuit may be completed through movablecon tact 54 on switch arm 55. A flexible lead 56 connects movablecontact 54 with a binding post 57 from whence extends a lead 58terminating ex teriorly of the strong box or the like. The laminations59 of the motor 33 carry a small induction coil 60 one end of which isconnected by wire 61 to a suitable signal device such as a low voltageelectric lamp 62 disposed at any suitable location exteriorly of thesafe or strong box controlled by the device of the invention, the otherend being grounded.

In my ccpending application patent for a delayed lock control and filedof even date herewith, I have illustrated means whereby the energizingcurrent may be supplied through and the signal lamp ca iled by a verysmall fixture mounted upon the exterior of a door of any size which iscontrolled by the device. It will be understood that the meansillustrated in said copending application may be applied to the deviceof the present invention. It will also be understood that any otherdesired form of external electr'cal connection and signal means may beemployed.

The means for the control of motor 38 consist of the switch a-=rzi 55which is pivoted on plate 13 and a finger 66 which extends through anaperture 6'? in said plate. A spring 68 resiliently urges arm 55upwardly tend 'ig to lift contact 54 away from contact to break themotor circuit. The perip cries of check discs 18 and 22 normally depressfinger 56, thereby holding the arm 55 down and retaining the contacts incircult closing position. Disc 22 has a notch 69 in its periphery anddisc 18 has a notch 70 in its periphery, said notches normally being incomplete non-registry when slots 19 and 23 of said discs are innon-registry. Upon rotation of the discs as aforesaid and the registryof the slots for the reception of slide 20, the notches 69 and '76 alsoregister allowing switch arin 5 to be raised under the influence of thespring 63 whereupon the motor is de-energized regardless of externalconnection of the leads 49 and 58 with a source of electricity. Thesignal 62 is energized all times when the motor is turning so thatcustodian of the safe controlled by the device is apprised of th factand may externally shut off the source of current supply by opening theswitch or disconnecting the plug-in socket or such other externalcontrol means as may be employed. When the motor is (ls-energized by theautomatic separation of switch contacts 53 54, the signal 62 is alsotie-energised.

It should he noted that the peripheral notches 69 and 70 do not movecompletely out of register until slide 20 is completely removed theslots in the check discs but remain partially open after the pins 353have been tripped and thus allow the finger 66 to remain elevatedsufficiently to leave switch contacts 53-"4 in non-contactrelation. Inmy previously mentioned copending application, I have also illustrateddiagrammatically one simple form of connecting yoke whereby theunlocking of a combination lock of any approved form may be madedependent upon the delayed movement of the device.

The device of the invention, however, may be used to directly control abolt 21 as illustrated herein, the bolt being manually thrown by anexternal knob or handle 71. Knob '71 controls shaft 72 upon which an arm'73 is mounted by any suitable means such as key 74- and set screw '75.The free end of the arm 72 carries a pin 76 operating in a slot '7? inbolt 21 so that turning of the handle efiects reciprocation of the bolt.The handle 71 may have housed within it a suitable lock cont olled by akey 73, such construction being old and well known, the specificstructure of which forms no part of the invention. In such a device, alocking pin '79 is projected, upon operation of the key 78 into a recessin the body of door 11. The pur ose of the key lock is to preventunauthorized actuation of the bolt even though the device of theinvention has conditioned the check discs to permit unlocking of thedevice. Conversely, the device of the invention serves to enforce apre-determined delay interval during which one in possession of a keycould not open the door. This pre-determined delay interval may, formany purposes, be merely a fifteen or twenty minute time period whichhas proved to be an ample safeguard and deterrent in cases of daylighthold-ups as well as sneak thievery or surreptitious acts. It will beunderstood, however, that the device is likewise adapted to long timedelay intervals, e. g. one hundred hours, by the mere interposition ofreduction gearing between the motor pinion and the gear 1'7.

Assuming that the external ends of the circuit to the motor of thedevice terminate in an external pair of conductor prongs 80 and 31, andthat these may be supplied from a suitable source of A. C. house currentby a suitably connected lamp cord 8'7 having a push-in socket 82, theoperation of the device would be as follows. When the bolt 21 isprojected to locking position, check discs 18 and 22 are normally in theposition shown in Fig. 1 wherein the slide 20 is dogged in lockingposition. Opening of the door 11 by the actuation of handle 71 or by anyother means having connection with the slide 20 is definitely precluded.When it is desired to unlock the device, the motor circuit would beenergized by attaching the energized lamp cord or the like to thecontacts 80-8i whereupon the motor would begin to rotate, due to thefact that a circuit is complete through switch contacts 5354. The gear17 would be rotated by the motor until pin 35 on the release block 33engaged pin 36 whereupon further movement of disc 22 would be arrested.At this time notch 69 is in such position that finger 66 would entersave for the fact that notch in disc 18 has not yet come into registrywith notch 69. The further movement of disc 18 with the gear 17 bringsthe slots 19 and 23 into registry and in position to receive the slide20. At this moment notch '70 registers with notch 69 in the peripheriesof the check discs and finger 66 raises under the influence of spring68, separating the contacts 53 and 54 and stopping the motor. During therunning period of the motor the small induced current through coil 60and wire 61 energizes the signal. Upon stopping of the motor, coil 60and the signal 62 are automatically de-energized. The slide 20 may nowbe operated. As the slide 20 is moved inwardly, it contacts the releaseblock 33 and pushes it against the yielding resistance of spring 34 andat the same time trips pin 35 from beneath pin 36 allowing disc 22 toturn slightly on the arbor, such movement tending to move notches 69 and'70 slightly out of registry, but insufiiciently to again close thecircuit through contacts 53-434. The authorized operator of the devicebeing apprised of the fact that the device is in condition to permitopening of the strong box or safe now disconnects the motor circuit fromthe source of electric supply by removing the plug-in cap from thecontact prongs S1.

The bolt is now in unlocked position. The user of the strong box ormoney chest would normally leave the control device in condition so thatthe door might be opened and closed as frequently as desired duringbusiness hours without throwing the bolt 21 to a locked position. If theuser would of necessity have to leave the immediate vicinity for a timeduring which he could not watch the strong box, he would merely throwthe bolt 21 to locking position whereupon the automatic check discswould automatically assume a position such as shown in Fig. 1 where theslide 20 would be effectively dogged to looking position. This automaticlocking and unlocking of the check discs takes place whether 80 themotor circuit is supplied with electrical energy or not. In order toopen the look again it would be necessary to again-energize the motorcircuit through prongs 8081. It should be noted that the contact switch55 is automatically closed when the check discs are in the positionshown in Fig. 1.

The externally controlled plug-in device is normally removed, thusde-energizing the conductors so and 58 immediately after the device hasbeen unlocked. The user or custodian of the strong box or money chest towhich the device is applied would normally leave the slide 20 in theposition shown in Fig. 3 during business hours. He can thus open andclose the money chest as often as necessary and, upon the appearance ofa suspicious looking person, need merely throw the bolt or other lockingmechanism which action withdraws the slide and allows the check discs toassume the position illustrated in Fig. 1 wherein the slide iseffectively dogged to locking position. In order to thereafter againunlock the door 11 of the money chest, it is necessary to again attachelectric supply plug 82 and wait for the pre-determined time delayinterval during which the motor automatically conditions the check discsand stops, the motor remaining de-energized until the slide 20 has beenagain moved to open position and is again withdrawn.

The energy required for actuating the device is very slight during themajor portion of the time delay interval of operation and, for about thelast thirty seconds of its operation said motor carries a somewhatgreater load which 115 approximates four or five ounces of resistance tomovement. Any reliable self-starting synchronous clock motor is found toserve the purpose of actuating the device in an ideal fashion.

What is claimed is:

1. An anti-bandit lock comprising a slide, a movably mounted slottedcheck means normally dogging the slide to locked position and adaptedfor movement to a position wherein the slide may enter the slot toassume an open position, motor driven means to move the check means outof dogging position, an exterior-1y energizable motor for actuating saidmotor driven means and a deenergizing switch for the motor adapted forautomatic opening of the motor circuit under the influence of movementof the check means to open position.

'2. An anti-bandit lock control comprising in combination aself-starting synchronous motor, a slotted check member movable by saidmotor, a bolt controlling slide normally dogged into locked position bysaid check means and adapted to enter the slot in the check means, acontrol switch adjacent the motor yieldably urged to open position andretained in closed position by the check means, said check means uponmovement to open position by said motor enabling automatic opening ofthe control switch for stopping the motor with the check means in openposition.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of a motor, arotatable arbor, speed reducing drive means for rotating the arbor fromthe motor, a first slotted check disc fixed to the arbor, a secondslotted check disc carried by the arbor and adapted for limited rotationrelative to the first check disc, yielding means normally retaining thesecond check di c at one limit of movement wherein the slots in thecheck discs are in non-registry, a release block movable bodily with thesecond check disc and adapted for reciprocation therein, a lug carriedsaid release block, a fixed pin disposed in the path of the lug andadapted, upon pro-determined rotation of the check discs, to arrestmovement of said second check disc whereby the slots in the discs mayassume a condition of re istry under further rotation of the first discby said motor, a slide member adapted to enter the registering slots inthe check discs and to move the release block in said second discwhereby the lug is disengaged from the pin and a self-opening controlswitch normally retained in closed position by the discs when the slotsare in nonregistry and released to open position for deenergizing themotor when the discs assume a position wherein the slots are inregistry.

4. An anti bandit lock the combination of a reciprocably mounted slide,a movable check member normally dogging the slide to locked position andhaving a slot therein adapted to be aligned with the slide for receivingthe a motor, means operated by said motor to moving the check member toa position wherein the slot therein may receive the slide, means toarrest the check member in the last mentioned position, means to stopmotor when said slot is aligned with said slide and means operable bymovement of the slide into said slot to release the arresting meanswhereby the check. me is released to dogging position when the slidewithdrawn from the slot.

5. In combination with a motor having energizing circuit, an arbor andmeans rotate the arbor at reduced speed from aid motor, a slidereciprocable to locked and open positions, a pair of slotted check discssaid arbor normally dogging the slide to locked posi ion, the slots insaid discs being normally in non-registry, one of said discs havinglimited free movement on the arbor to permit registry of the slots inthe discs, a movable lug carried by one of the discs, means in the pathof said lug to a "rest the discs in position for entry of the slide intothe lug being movable out of said position by slide upon openingmovement of the slide switch adapted for automatic opening of the motorenergizing circuit when discs are in position to receive the slide inthe slots.

6. In a device of the clas" described the con.- bination of aself-starting electric clock motor, a self-opening control switchassociated therewith, a of rotatable check d s having a resilientconnection to permit limited relative movement, said discs havingnormally non-registering slots therein adapted for registry when thediscs are moved t the pressure of the resilient connection, a slidemovable to locked and open positions, a driving connection between themotor and said discs, a yieldable lug carried by one of the discs and afixed in the path thereof forming together a releasable latch means forarresting the discs in position with the slots therein aligned toreceive the slide, said slide,

upon movement into the slots serving to release said latch and subjectthe discs to the influence of the resilient connection, and a memberassoiated with the control switch and said discs to release the controlswitch when said discs are in position to receive the slide.

7. In a loci: control device the combination of a slide movable tolocked and open positions, check means normally dogging said slide tolocked position, means to move the check means out of dogging relationto the slide, an electric motor for actuating said last mentioned means,latch means to hold the check means out of dogging relation, said latchmeans being releasable by said slide upon movement to open position, a?

control switch for the motor, and means controlling opening and closingof the switch as the check means assumes dogging and non-doggingpositions.

8. In a device of the class described the combination of a pair of discseach having a radial slot and a peripheral notch, means yieldablyholding the discs in position wherein said slots and said notches arenon-registering, driving means for said di. cs, latch means to hold oneof the discs after predetermined movement thereof by the driving means,said driving means continuing movement or" he other disc against the -ceof the yielding means to load the yielding means to effect registry ofthe notches and registry of the slots in said discs, a slide movable toposition when said slots are in registry, movement of the slide into theslots releasing the means, and means movable into the regist l driving9. An automatic time delay control device for a lock control slide, thecombination of a slide movable to open locked positions, a plurality ofrotatable discs, said discs having slots therein cap .ible of with oneanother for receiving the slide, means permitting limited relativemovement of the discs to effect registry of the slots therein, yie tablemeans normally retaining the discs in position wherein the slots are innonregistry, driving means whereby the discs are rotated with the slotsin non-registry, means to arrest one disc while an adjacent disc ismoved by the driving means to efiect registry of the slots, means tostop the driving means and means to release the arresting means uponentry of the slide into the registering slots.

10. In an automatic check disc assembly the combination of an arbor, adisc fixed for rotation therewith, a second disc adapted for limitedrotary movement relative to the first disc, said discs having slotsregistering when the discs are at one limit of relative movement,yielding means normally retaining the discs at the opposite limit ofrelative movement, a latch member yieldably mounted on one or" thediscs, a fixed pin disposed the path of said latch member, and servingto arrest movement of said disc whereby to load the yieldablemeans asthe adjacent disc is rotated by the arbor, and the slots in the discsare brought into registry, and a slide adapted for entry into theregistering slots for releasing the latch member from the fixed pin.

WILLIAM T. BENHAM.

